ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Education
Training to teachers on new education policy
A teacher’s fest ‘ShikshakParv’ was organized from8thto 25thSeptember 2020for discussing various recommendations of National Education Policy  2020 and its implementation strategies. This year also ShikshakParv was organized from 5th to 17th September, 2021 through virtual mode. Policy makers, administrators, academicians, experts, school principals, head-teachers and teachers participated in the ShikshakParv to share their experiences, learnings and discuss the way forward to realise the aspirations of NEP-2020.
In addition, the National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA – National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement was launched by the Department of School Education and Literacy.The teacher training modules of NISHTHA have been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020.
Further, an online consultation process to invite suggestions from teachers to implement NEP 2020 was initiated at www.MyGov.in portal. Around 15 lakh suggestions were received from teachers which were forwarded to NCERT, CBSE and States/UTs.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the RajyaSabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM reviews steps taken to reduce under-nutrition
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on Friday reviewed the progress and efforts being made to prevent and reduce under-nutrition and related problems in India. The high level review meeting was attended by officials from PMO, NITI Aayog and other Ministries.
The current status of malnutrition, stunting and related problems was reviewed. Successful nutrition initiatives in some other developing countries came up for discussion.
The Prime Minister stressed on the need to work towards concrete objectives to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, low birth weight, and anaemia. He emphasized that visible and measurable results should be seen by 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence.
Towards this end, real-time monitoring towards progress of nutrition outcomes was discussed, especially in the worst performing districts.
Senior officials repeatedly emphasized that initiatives of the Union Government such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Mission Indradhanush, Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana etc, are having a positive impact on nutrition. In this context, the Prime Minister called for convergence among all schemes of Union and State Governments, which directly or indirectly have an impact on nutrition outcomes.
He said raising social awareness towards the importance of nutrition is necessary, to achieve the desired results. He stressed on the importance of using informal channels to generate this awareness.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Department of Pharmaceuticals invites application for Vitamin B1 under the category ‘Other Chemical Synthesis based KSMs/Drug Intermediates/APIs’ under Production Linked Incentive  scheme for Bulk Drugs
Last date of filing the application is 24th August, 2022
PLI Scheme for Domestic Manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials /Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients  was notified on 20th July, 2020. The Financial incentive under the sub-scheme is provided on the sales of 41 identified products categorized into four Target Segments. Total 248 applications were received in Round I, II and III. 51 applicants have been approved with committed investment of Rs 4,138.41 cr, and expected employment generation of around 10,000 persons. Total 92,130 MT is committed against the envisioned capacity of 44,610MT for the 34 products approved under the scheme. The production year and incentive year for chemical synthesis route Bulk Drugs is from 2022-23 and the production year and incentive year for the fermentation based APIs is from 2023-24. 14 projects have been commissioned till the end of June.
Under the Scheme Guidelines, the Eligible Product ‘Vitamin B1’ was categorised under the head ‘Fermentation based niche KSMs/ Drug Intermediaries/ APIs’ and applications were invited accordingly.
However, representations were received subsequently that the Vitamin B1 can be manufactured through chemical synthesis route also. Therefore, the classification of the Eligible Product: ‘Vitamin B1’ has been changed to ‘Other Chemical Synthesis based KSMs/ Drug Intermediaries/ APIs’.
Applications are being invited for Vitamin B1 under the category ‘Other Chemical Synthesis based KSMs/ Drug Intermediaries/ APIs’. The rate of incentive has accordingly been revised to FY 2023 -24 to FY 2027-28-10 %, instead of earlier rate of FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27: 20%, FY 2027-28: 15 %, FY 2028-29: 5 %. Eligible applicants may apply through online mode only at https://plibulkdrugs.ifciltd.com.
The notice dated 26th July, 2022 inviting applications and corrigendum to Scheme Guidelines may be accessed at https://pharmaceuticals.gov.in and https://plibulkdrugs.ifciltd.com. The last date of filing the application is 24th August, 2022.
Ministry of Railways
484 Railway projects of 51,165 Km lengthare in different stages of planning/sanction/execution
The Railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not State-wise as the Railways’ projects may spans across State boundaries. As on 01.04.2021, 484 Railway projects of 51,165 Km length, costing approx. `7.53 lakh crore are in different stages of planning/sanction/execution, out of which 10,638 Km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of approx. `2.14 lakh crore has been incurred upto March, 2021. These include:-
- 187 New line projects of 21,037 Km length, costing `4,05,916 crore, out of which commissioning of 2,621 Km length has been achieved and expenditure of `1,05,591 crore has been incurred upto March, 2021.
- 46 Gauge Conversion projects of 6,213 Km length, costing `53,171 crore, out of which commissioning of 3,587 Km length has been achieved and expenditure of `22,184 crore has been incurred upto March, 2021.
- 251 Doubling projects of 23,915 Km length, costing `2,93,471 crore, out of which commissioning of 4,430 Km length has been achieved and expenditure of `86,041 crore has been incurred upto March, 2021.
Zonal Railway wise details of Railway projects including cost, expenditure and outlay are made available in public domain on Indian Railways website.
This information was given by Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri AshwiniVaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Vizianagaram Coir Cluster
Ministry of MSME implements Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries  for organizing traditional industries and artisans into collectives for providing sustainable employment to artisans. Under SFURTI, Vizianagaram Coir Cluster has become functional and started production of rubberised coir.
Under the project, Rs.203.32 lakh has been approved for undertaking the activities under Hard Interventions which includes construction of common facility center, procurement of machinery and purchase of raw material, etc. Of these, Rs. 40 lakh has been approved for construction of common facility centre. Under Soft Intervention component of the scheme, Rs. 25 lakh has been approved which includes product development, capacity building, market promotion activities, etc. The entire amount of Rs.25 lakh earmarked for Soft Intervention activities has been released to the cluster for undertaking various programmes on capacity building, market promotion, etc.
This information was given by Union Minister for MSME Shri Narayan Rane in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
Swachhata Hi Sewa: Defence Secretary inaugurates ‘Mechanised Cleaning’ programme to ensure faster & greener cleaning process through machines, at BEML Limited, Mysuru
As part of the ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ campaign, Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane inaugurated ‘Mechanised Cleaning’, a cleanliness programme of BEML Limited, at its Mysore complex in Karnataka on October 01, 2023. The initiative involves use of machines such as backhoe loaders and scrubbing equipment to clear electronic garbage and other waste material, ensuring faster and greener cleaning process. Under the green initiative, the Defence Secretary also planted a tree sapling in the complex in the presence of BEML’s top leadership and staff members.
Interacting with the BEML officials, Shri Giridhar Aramane appreciated their ‘Swacchata’ initiatives and encouraged them to take active part in cleanliness drives & awareness programmes and contribute in nation building. He also emphasised the importance of making India ‘Aatmanirbhar’. He stated that BEML’s strength lies in strategic leadership and technological advancements in building advanced capabilities and catering to the growing demand of defence, mining and construction sectors from within the country and abroad.
Chairman & Managing Director of BEML Ltd Shri Shantanu Roy enumerated a list of initiatives taken during the ‘Swachhata hi Sewa’ campaign, which began on September 15, 2023 and is culminating on October 02, 2023. He highlighted the employees’ contributions towards making the campus clean and green. He cited a unique programme created by the employees ‘Cleanliness Skit’ that showcased the need of keeping the surroundings & environment clean for future generations. Shri Shantanu Roy added that BEML’s commitment towards research & development excellence has played a pivotal role in driving innovation, growth and sustainability.
Under the ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ campaign, BEML has been carrying out a number of activities such as weeding out old records, cleaning Krishna Raja Sagara dam and displaying posters in school and college premises to create awareness about the need to ensure cleanliness. Other Defence Public Sector Undertakings across the country are also carrying out similar cleanliness drives at their premises as part of the campaign.
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of Rajasthan, West UP, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi & Punjab is likely to be slow as large scale features are not favourable and the forecast wind pattern by the numerical models do not indicate any favourable condition for sustained rainfall over the region during the forecast period
According to the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department :
 Based on 1430 hours IST Observations
All India Weather Inference 
- The northern Limit of southwest monsoon  continues to pass through Lat. 26°N / Long. 70°E, Barmer, Bhilwara, Dholpur, Aligarh, Meerut, Ambala and Amritsar.
- Further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Punjab is likely to be slow as large scale features are not favourable and the forecast wind pattern by the numerical models do not indicate any favourable condition for sustained rainfall over the region during the forecast period.
- The cyclonic circulation over southwest Bihar & adjoining southeast Uttar Pradesh extending upto 5.8 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height persists.
- The trough from the above cyclonic circulation over southwest Bihar & adjoining southeast Uttar Pradesh to south Chhattisgarh across Jharkhand between 3.1 km & 5.8 km above mean sea level persists.
- The trough at mean sea level from north Punjab to northeast Bay of Bengal across Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, north Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal persists.
♦ The Western Disturbance as a trough in mid & upper tropospheric westerlies with its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level roughly along Long. 70°E to the north of Lat. 25°N persists.
- The cyclonic circulation over Northeast & adjoining Northwest Arabian Sea at 5.8 km above mean sea level persists.
For more details kindly visit www.imd.gov.in or contact: +91 11 24631913, 24643965, 24629798 
Kindly download MAUSAM APP for location specific forecast & warning, MEGHDOOT APP for Agromet advisory and DAMINI APP for Lightning Warning & visit state MC/RMC websites for district wise warning.
Prime Minister's Office
PM invites suggestions for episode 101 of Mann Ki Baat
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared the link and phone number for citizens to send their valuable suggestions for episode 101 of Mann Ki Baat.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
“I look forward to your valuable suggestions for the 101st #MannKiBaat episode, which will take place on the 28th. Record your message on 1800-11-7800 or write on NaMo App / My Gov.”
Ministry of Finance
Payment of GST compensation to States in times of COVID-19 pandemic
 Act, 2017, GST compensation for financial years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 has already been paid to the States. This was stated by Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
The Minister further stated that the economic impact of the pandemic has led to higher compensation requirement due to lower GST collection and at the same time lower collection of GST compensation cess. Recently, Centre released ₹ 17,000 crore on 03.11.2021 towards GST compensation to States from the Compensation Fund. Details of GST compensation released to States/ UTs is as per details in ANNEXURE. This is in addition to GST compensation of ₹ 1,13,464 crore released to States/ UTs with legislature to partly meet the compensation payable for the period April’20 to March’21 as the amount in GST Compensation Fund was not adequate to meet the full compensation requirement, the Minister stated.
Giving more details, the Minister stated that the issue of shortfall of cess collection into Compensation Fund and GST compensation to States/UTs due to economic impact of the pandemic has been deliberated in 41st, 42nd & 43rd GST council meetings. As per the decision of GST Council, ₹1.1 lakh crore for FY 2020-21 & ₹1.59 lakh crore for FY 2021-22 has been released to States/ UTs as back-to-back loan to meet the resource of the States/UTs due to shortfall in GST compensation. Release of this amount has been front loaded during the financial year to enable States/UTs to undertake capital expenditure. In addition, depending on the amount available in the Compensation Fund, Centre has also been releasing the regular GST compensation to States to make up for GST revenue shortfall.
The Minister stated that taking into account, the GST compensation released from Compensation Fund as well as back-to-back loan released in FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22, GST compensation of ₹ 37,134 crore for period April’20 to March’21 and ₹ 14,664 crore for April-September’21 is pending to States/ UTs as per provisional figures. Centre is committed to release full GST Compensation to the States/UTs as per GST  Act, 2017 for the transition period by extending the levy of Compensation cess beyond 5 years to meet the GST revenue shortfall as well as servicing the loan borrowed through special window scheme, the Minister stated.
On the question of proposal to extend GST compensation beyond 2022, the Minister stated that as per Section 18 of the Constitution  Act, 2016, Parliament shall, by law, on the recommendation of the Goods and Services Tax Council, provide for compensation to the States for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of five years from the date of implementation of GST. During transition period, the States’ revenue is protected at 14% per annum over the base year revenue of 2015-16. Central Government is committed for GST compensation to States/UTs for 5 years as per the Constitutional provision.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
ECONOMIC CENSUS
Economic Census is the complete count of all non-farm economic establishments located within the geographical boundary of the country. As per 6th Economic Census results, a total of 5,84,95,359 economic establishments were listed in the country.
Economic Census data have been widely disseminated to several government and non-government agencies for their research, analysis, policy formulations, etc. Usage of EC data by these user agencies is expected to facilitate in designing developmental policies for economic growth, employment generation, etc. in the country.
This information was given by the Minister of State  for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to attend programme on ‘Save Soil Movement’ on 5th June
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will attend a programme on ‘Save Soil Movement’ at Vigyan Bhawan on 5th June at 11 AM. Prime Minister will also address the gathering during the programme.
‘Save Soil Movement’ is a global movement to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and bring about a conscious response to improve it. The movement was started by Sadhguru in March 2022, who embarked on a 100 day motorcycle journey passing through 27 countries. 5th June marks the 75th day of the 100 day journey. Prime Minister’s participation in the programme will be reflective of the shared concerns and commitment towards improving the health of soil in India.
Ministry of Defence
DRDO Successfully Conducts Flight Test of ABHYAS
Defence Research and Development Organisation  conducted successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target  from Interim Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha today. The flight test was tracked by various RADARS & Electro Optic Systems and proved its performance in fully autonomous way point navigation mode.
The configuration of ABHYAS is designed on an in-line small gas turbine engine and uses indigenously developed MEMS based navigation system for its navigation and guidance. The performance of the system was as per simulations carried out and demonstrated the capability of ABHYAS to meet the mission requirement for a cost effective HEAT.
Nampi/Rajib
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Ministry of Home Affairs
4th India - IndonesiaVirtual Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation Between Narcotics Control Bureau , India and National Narcotics Board , Indonesia
The 4thBilateral Joint Working Group  meeting between the Narcotics Control Bureau  India and the National Narcotics Board , Indonesia was held on 17th December, 2020. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Rakesh Asthana, Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Indiaand the Indonesian delegation was led by Mr. PujiSarwono, Deputy of Legal Affairs and Cooperation, National Narcotic Board of Indonesia.
Shri Rakesh Asthana, Director General , NCB, Indiaexpressed his gratitude to the Government of Indonesia and the Head of BNN, Indonesia for conducting this virtual meeting amid the global pandemic COVID-19. DG, NCB highlighted issues particularly the trafficking of Heroin and Amphetamine Type Stimulant  in the country through land and maritime routes originating from the Golden Triangle. He also mentioned the new emerging challenge of trafficking of drugs through the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. DG, NCB also emphasized on the emerging trends in the production and trafficking of New Psychoactive Substances and usage of Darknet markets. COVID-19 has brought new challenges for containing the sudden spurt in trafficking through courier and parcel. He ensured that the Government of India is committed towards strengthening the existing mechanism of coordination and cooperation with Indonesia in combating drug trafficking.
Mr. PujiSarwono, Deputy of Legal Affairs and Cooperation, BNN, Indonesia elaborated the growing threat of trafficking of Methamphetamine in Indonesia, which has caused grave concern in the region even though the cooperation mechanism between Indonesia and India has enhanced over the past years. He urged India to develop frequent information exchange on drugs trafficking and precursor smuggling activities at every level. He complimented the Government of India and the NCB for their continuous efforts to combat the growing threat of the drug menace.
Both the countries agreed on exchange of intelligence information in a timely manner to conduct follow-up investigation in drug seizure cases, New Psychoactive Substances and their precursors. It was decided to exchange information on illegal entry and exit points of illicit drug trafficking on the Indonesia-India borders and information on technology being used to interdict drug trafficking.
The meeting concluded with exchange of thanks and greetings for constructive and meaningful discussions and committed to such cooperation in the future, with the decision to hold the 5th India –Indonesia Bilateral Joint Working Group Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation in India in 2021.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, under the leadership of Nitin Gadkari, publishes Draft Standards for Road-Trains
To revolutionize the transport of goods and reduce the overall logistic costs, the Automotive Industry Standards Committee has amended its AIS-113 Standard to include the safety requirements of Road-Trains and has hosted the draft on Ministry of Road Transport & Highway’s website.
The standards have been prepared after examining European benchmarks, keeping in mind Indian operating conditions.
These standards shall pave the way for a breakthrough intervention for fast and efficient movement of goods along the long-distance freight corridors.
Road-Train is a motor vehicle wherein the traction is provided by the puller, which is connected to a serial combination of trailers or semi- trailers.
These shall ply on select stretches to reduce congestion, save fuel and reduce noise & air-pollution.
The Automotive Industry Standards Committee has representatives from the relevant Ministries, Testing Agencies, Industry stakeholders, BIS etc.
The amended standard AIS-113  has been published for invitation of public comments, after which it shall be notified in due course.
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviews progress of border infrastructure
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a high level meeting here today to review the progress of various infrastructure projects under construction in border areas. The meeting was also attended by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials of the Ministry.
The state of forward connectivity to border areas was reviewed and the consistent need of boosting the ongoing projects and to expedite the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas was discussed. The Border Roads has executed 30 per cent more works in financial year  2019-20 as compared to FY 2018-19.
The BRO has worked incessantly even during the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 without affecting the progress of various projects. Despite unprecedented snowfall, breaking 60 year old record, all strategic passes and roads were cleared this year for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates. The Border Roads executed snow clearance works on 149 roads  in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. This ensured rapid and early movement of troops and logistics to forward areas.
While complementing the BRO for its achievements, Raksha Mantri exhorted it to continue its work to achieve even greater laurels. The Border Roads has also inducted latest equipment and machines and has introduced modern construction methods after successful trials to expedite works on surfacing with cementations base, use of plastics, geotextiles, etc and various techniques for slope stabilisation. Trials have also been carried out successfully for indigenously produced modular bridges in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited  under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. This will revolutionise the bridge laying capabilities in forward areas.
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the efforts of BRO for their contribution to national security.